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Original poster

Rent help on uc

81 replies

AandD · 22/01/2021 13:00

Hello everyone, may I ask a question please? My daughters boyfriend has just split up with her, and is packing his stuff to move out today, so now she’s on her own! She’s just made a single uc claim, but I was wondering if she had to specifically ask if there’s any help she can get with the rent, or is it automatically looked into? They’ve said they’ll tell her how much she’ll be getting paid on the 24th Feb, and her payment will be made on the 28th of Feb. She’s a care worker, and works about 35 hours a week at the mo. We have no idea how much she’ll be entitled to if any. So worried about her.

OP posts:
Poppyseeds2 · 22/01/2021 23:36

£550 is a lot for her to be paying OP. I would advise your DD to move back home to save or find a shared house.

Can she pick up overtime at work?

yvanka · 22/01/2021 23:40

Even on minimum wage she will be able to pay that.

caringcarer · 23/01/2021 00:25

It is no fun if every penny you earn has to go to pay the rent and you just can't afford to go out at all after buying good and paying bills. She would be at risk of depression. She would be better off renting a room which.includes all bills at 20 and she would get a bit of company too, would afford to be able to go out after lockdown. If she keeps house and it takes all of her money to do so she will miss out on a social life. Not good at 20. If she can't move back home could you help her out a bit with her rent? She is very young to be alone.

Poppyseeds2 · 23/01/2021 00:28

@caringcarer I wish someone advised me the same at 20. It’s a total waste to be living alone and renting a whole house alone money wise.

RickiTarr · 23/01/2021 01:17

So, assuming she’s on a shade above NMW @ 35 hours a week, £550pcm rent is almost half of her net pay. The landlord might not be happy with that if he runs affordability on her with a view to issuing a new sole name tenancy. It’s not just a matter of her being frugal.

Graphista · 23/01/2021 01:30

Have you or she done a trial on any of the estimation calculators?

www.entitledto.co.uk/benefits-calculator/Intro/Home?cid=3b0501e5-5db9-4b7b-bcf4-8e37f847e6d3

benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk/AboutYou

BUT remember they are just a guide

so I assume she needs to ask the landlord if he can just put the tenancy in just her name?

Never assume! The landlord can deny her this if she can't pay the rent. Takes time to evict but sadly too many landlords don't do so legally especially a vulnerable young woman. I'd urge caution here, also with regard to her personal safety once landlord knows she's there alone, can she lock up from inside so as even with a key he couldn't get in? Hopefully she has a decent one but literally anyone can be a landlord so she needs to be careful.

On the rent/tenancy side of things shelter are very knowledgeable and helpful.

She needs to ASAP reduce/remove all expenses that are directly related to now ex boyfriend so she's not liable for them for any longer than necessary:

Council tax reduction
Any pay tv subscriptions that were purely for him
Gaming subscriptions
Any debts that are his but coming out of her or a joint account.

If they have a joint account that needs changed ASAP or she runs the risk of him running up debts on it

Any joint credit cards?

She needs to sit and do a new budget being realistic and cutting out luxuries and being frugal on necessities, if she's not already she needs to learn to be a savvy consumer

Also maximising income - picking up extra shifts, loyalty cards for wherever she shops, if she has time/ability doing surveys etc online...

She should be ok for now but I agree a houseshare would be a more sensible option.

Does she have a friend who is looking to move out of parents or is unhappy in current living situation who might be willing to rent a 2 bed with her and the ferrets?

Does the landlord know about the ferrets?

Lots to think about

Poppyseeds2 · 23/01/2021 01:35

Does £550 include bills OP?

Dddccc · 23/01/2021 01:35

Ok heads up basing her wage off £9 an hour she gets 1260 every 4 weeks so she won't get help i am afraid however that is also more then enough to pay her rent bills and food with a little left over, also you normally have to apply for council tax separately and she will get a single person's discount

TheDuchessOfBeddington · 23/01/2021 02:54

@AandD

Thank you for your replies. We’re a little scared incase the landlord wants her out now her ex has gone. She needs to ask him if she can remain in the house without him.
Please don’t worry about homelessness. It will be months before she can be evicted. Plenty of time to find a room in a flat share.

Or can she replace Ex BF on the tenancy? Move a friend in by converting the living room to a bedroom?

BeanieB2020 · 23/01/2021 03:04

So if you are under 35 you are expected to live in shared accommodation to get help with rent? Wow. Can understand that up to maybe 25, but very surprised that for example a 33 year old would be expected to live in a shared flat/house.

Hope she ends up finding some help OP

Lougle · 23/01/2021 04:16

@BeanieB2020

So if you are under 35 you are expected to live in shared accommodation to get help with rent? Wow. Can understand that up to maybe 25, but very surprised that for example a 33 year old would be expected to live in a shared flat/house.

Hope she ends up finding some help OP

That's the new rules. Pretty difficult for 'young people' these days.
Original poster
AandD · 23/01/2021 10:35

Thank you for al your help. We only moved to this area last year, so she doesn’t have any friends here. Yes the landlord is aware of the ferrets, and has given permission. She already has bad depression and is on medication for that. I know she would not want to share with a stranger. It’s very hard for young people.

OP posts:
S1gn0fthethymes · 23/01/2021 10:38

A studio flat would potentially be cheaper than a one bed flat

A house share would potentially be cheaper than a one bed flat or studio

Did the ex leave without paying their share of the bills ?

Apply for single person discount council
tax today

fuzzyduck1 · 23/01/2021 11:10

Oh dear you can look on the bright side if the tenancy is in joint names does that make her ex liable for half the rent? I don’t think she’ll get anything from uc. What about alternative accommodation? Van or Motorhome or caravan.? Or even a boat?
That way she could keep her ferret. Insurance could be a bit high due to age but if you owned and insured it she could just live in it.

Or if your that worried about your daughter why can’t she move back home?

fuzzyduck1 · 23/01/2021 11:17

@RickiTarr

Assuming £500 rent per calendar month (or less) and weekly net wage of £280, for example, she won’t get a penny. It’s not a generous system unfortunately.
It’s supposed to be a safety net? Not to hand out money who want more than they can afford.
MiddlesexGirl · 23/01/2021 11:22

If it's a joint tenancy they will be jointly and severally liable so not a good idea to allow rent to go unpaid- especially if she wants to carry on living there.

Original poster
AandD · 23/01/2021 12:19

Yes it was a joint tenancy. We are struggling as a family of 7 in a 3 bedroom house, as we recently moved, so there’s no room sadly.

OP posts:
RickiTarr · 23/01/2021 14:41

It’s supposed to be a safety net? Not to hand out money who want more than they can afford.

You do need the safety net to keep pace with rent to work, though, and the rents are lavish.

notthemum · 23/01/2021 15:13

Beanie and Lougle , unfortunately not just difficult for young people. I can't pay my rent so I am getting thrown out of house I have lived in for the last 18 years. Council offered me an alternative, I can have two lodgers in the house.
My health is not the best, in my early twenties I might have found this fun. But the idea of being forced to live with two strangers at almost 60 years of age terrifies me.

Lougle · 23/01/2021 15:58

@notthemum

Beanie and Lougle , unfortunately not just difficult for young people. I can't pay my rent so I am getting thrown out of house I have lived in for the last 18 years. Council offered me an alternative, I can have two lodgers in the house. My health is not the best, in my early twenties I might have found this fun. But the idea of being forced to live with two strangers at almost 60 years of age terrifies me.
That sounds awful, @notthemum. Is it because you are living in a 3 bed but only entitled to 1 bedroom? I presume there are no house swaps available?
BeanieB2020 · 23/01/2021 17:34

Notthemum & lougie, this is awful! It seems like blatant discrimination based on age and marital status.

Babyroobs · 23/01/2021 18:00

@BeanieB2020

Notthemum & lougie, this is awful! It seems like blatant discrimination based on age and marital status.
The thing is they can't be offering a one bedroom rate to every young person on UC, otherwise a lot of young people would jump at the chance of leaving home early and getting their rent paid which I suspect is why they only pay shared accommodation rate for younger people. I do think the age should be lowered though, maybe 30.
titchy · 23/01/2021 18:09

@AandD

Thank you for al your help. We only moved to this area last year, so she doesn’t have any friends here. Yes the landlord is aware of the ferrets, and has given permission. She already has bad depression and is on medication for that. I know she would not want to share with a stranger. It’s very hard for young people.
A house share might help her make friends you know, and help her depression. Living alone as a 20 year old must feel so isolating. Just a thought.
Babyroobs · 23/01/2021 18:15

I guess the problem in a shared house though would be the ferrets. I can't say I'd be entirely happy to share a house with house ferrets.

Poppyseeds2 · 23/01/2021 18:22

Even a house share with just one person the costs will be too much for her £550 plus her bills on top at aged 20. I think living alone is definitely isolating too.

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